HER TRAGIC TRIP
Woman killed as she got gifts for grandkids
A beloved Queens grandmother’s plans for a trip to Virginia and a family Christmas were stolen by a hit-and-run killer as she walked to her car carrying holiday gifts.
The remnants of Helena Conti’s holiday shopping spree — shattered mugs and toys, a tattered shoe box, pieces of Mickey Mouse-themed presents — remained strewn across Cooper Ave. near 84th St. in Middle Village hours later as neighbors recalled the 79-year-old victim as a woman of endless generosity and energy.
Conti was planning a Friday flight to Fredericksburg, Va., for a holiday visit with family members now left to plan for her funeral after the Monday evening tragedy. Cops continued to search Tuesday for the fugitive driver who ran her down.
“If you knew her, if anybody knew her, this is a person who was always, always, first, first, her grandchildren,” said friend and neighbor Florangela Castro, 74, noting the mother of three had six grandkids. “I cannot imagine these children being told that their grandma is not coming.”
Castro met Conti when she moved into the neighborhood about 20 years ago and they became fast friends, introduced by their soon-to-be mutual friend Ann Whyte. Castro recalled her pal taking her two poodles for a walk each morning at 7:30 and stopping by to say hello — often followed by an invite for coffee.
“She always had a moment for her friends,” recalled Castro. “Incredible. I hope they find the [driver], because you don’t leave a person. This is a grandma with her Christmas gifts.”
Fellow dog owner Whyte, 81, was just as effusive in her praise for the victim, killed as she returned to her parked car near Atlas Park. The three senior citizens became as close as sisters, she said.
“She never thought of herself, always others,” said Whyte. “That’s the biggest thing I can say about her.”
Whyte is now taking care of her late friend’s poodles, ages 13 and 16, and may end up as their new owner depending on what the victim’s family decides.
She remained stunned by by the sudden tragedy so close to the holidays.
“When something happens like this so quickly, it’s just hard to come to grips with it,” said Whyte.
Castro recalled how Conti started turning up at her home on Sundays during the pandemic, arriving with food and bottles of wine to share with her two friends.
“She came very Sunday for about eight Sundays,” Castro recounted. “She came with a bag for [Whyte] and a bag for me, of home-cooked lunch. She would come no matter what. She just would not stop.”
The women were planning a
Thursday get-together to share some holiday cheer since Conti would be away for Christmas.
“So there’s she finding a moment, the day before she’s flying, for us,” said Castro. “Always finding a moment, for brunch, for coffee. So where do you find a person like that?”